Paging indication method and apparatus

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/072308, filed on Jan. 15, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The embodiments relate to the field of communication technologies, a paging indication method, and an apparatus.

Paging, also referred to as a paging message, is used for triggering a terminal to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection, notifying a terminal of a system information update, or sending an earthquake and tsunami warning. Content of the paging message is sent to the terminal through a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and the PDSCH is scheduled through a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scrambled by using a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI).

Before receiving the paging, the terminal does not know whether a base station actually includes paging sent to the terminal. Therefore, the terminal is woken up on each paging occasion (PO), performs detection on paging downlink control information (DCI), and then receives a paging PDSCH based on scheduling of the paging DCI. Only after the terminal completely parses data on the paging PDSCH, can the terminal know whether the base station actually includes paging data sent to the terminal.

However, in an existing communication network, a probability that a base station actually sends paging to a terminal on each PO is very low. Therefore, power consumption overheads of paging receiving of the terminal on most POs are useless. This is not conducive to power consumption reduction.

The embodiments may provide a paging indication method and an apparatus. A time frequency sending position of a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)—based paging early indication (PEI) may allow a terminal to be notified, by using a PEI, of whether there is paging on a PO. Therefore, power efficiency and impact of a sending position of the PEI on intra-frequency cell search and measurement of the terminal are reduced.

According to a first aspect, an embodiment may provide a paging indication method. The method is applied to a network device, and includes: generating a PEI, where the PEI indicates whether there is a paging message sent to a terminal on one or more POs; determining a time frequency region for sending the PEI, where the time frequency region corresponds to an SSB, a first interval is different from a second interval, the first interval is an interval between a start subcarrier of the PEI and a start subcarrier of the SSB, and the second interval is an interval between a start subcarrier of an SSS and the start subcarrier of the SSB; and sending, in the time frequency region, the PEI to the terminal.

In other words, the network device in this method sends the PEI to the terminal, and the terminal can be notified, by using the PEI, whether there is the paging on the PO. Therefore, power consumption is reduced. In addition, a position of the PEI is different from that of the SSS in frequency domain. This reduces impact of a sending position of the PEI on intra-frequency cell search and measurement.

The SSB in this method may be an SSB before the PO, and the PEI may be sent before the PO. The PEI may be close to the SSB before the PO. In this way, the terminal may simultaneously perform time frequency tracking and automatic gain control (AGC) by using the SSB and receive the PEI before the PO.

In a possible implementation, the generating a PEI includes: generating the PEI by using a pseudo-random sequence whose length is N, where N is any integer greater than or equal to 127.

In a possible implementation, the pseudo-random sequence whose length is N and the PEI meet the following relationships:

where

d(n) represents a sequence value of an nsymbol in the pseudo-random sequence whose length is N; a value range of n is greater than or equal to 0 and less than N;

represents a cell identifier of a cell of the network device, and includes two identifiers:

and

initial values of xand xare preset values; and mod represents a modulo operation.

In a possible implementation, N is less than or equal to 240.

In a possible implementation, the first interval indicates at least one of the following: whether one or more terminal groups that receive the paging message on the one or more POs are paged; and whether there is the paging message sent to the terminal on the one or more PO groups in the one or more POs.

In other words, in this implementation, different first intervals may indicate different terminal groups or different PO groups. This improves flexibility of a paging indication.

In a possible implementation, a frequency domain region in the time frequency region of the PEI may be within a transmitting bandwidth of the SSB or may exceed a transmitting bandwidth of the SSB (in other words, not completely within the transmitting bandwidth of the SSB).

In a possible implementation, the time frequency region is a plurality of time frequency regions. The plurality of time frequency regions may be used to repeatedly send the PEI. Alternatively, the PEI is a plurality of PEIs, and the plurality of time frequency regions are respectively used to send the plurality of PEIs.

In other words, in this implementation, one PEI may be repeatedly sent in the plurality of time frequency regions. This improves accuracy of the paging indication. Alternatively, the plurality of PEIs may be simultaneously sent, and different PEIs may indicate different terminal groups or different PO groups. This improves the flexibility of the paging indication.

In a possible implementation, the time frequency region occupies one OFDM symbol, and there are two OFDM symbols between the time frequency region and the SSS.

In other words, in this implementation, if the time frequency region of the PEI occupies one OFDM symbol, there may be two OFDM symbols between the time frequency region of the PEI and the SSS. In this way, regardless of a time location case used for sending the SSB, the terminal may receive the PEI and the SSS by using a same receiving algorithm.

In a possible implementation, the determining a time frequency region for sending the PEI includes: if there is no OFDM symbol between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, and the SSB is located before the another SSB, determining a 1OFDM symbol located before the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region; if there is no OFDM symbol between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, and the SSB is located after the another SSB, determining a 2OFDM symbol located after the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region; or if there are two OFDM symbols between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, determining a 2OFDM symbol located after the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region.

According to a second aspect, an embodiment may provide a paging indication method. The method is applied to a terminal, and includes: determining a time frequency region for receiving a PEI from a network device, where the PEI indicates whether there is a paging message sent to the terminal on one or more POs, the time frequency region corresponds to an SSB, a first interval is different from a second interval, the first interval is an interval between a start subcarrier of the PEI and a start subcarrier of the SSB, and the second interval is an interval between a start subcarrier of an SSS and the start subcarrier of the SSB; receiving the PEI in the time frequency region; and determining, based on an indication of the PEI, whether there is the paging message sent to the terminal on the one or more POs.

In other words, the terminal in this method receives the PEI from the network device, and the terminal can be notified, by using the PEI, whether there is the paging on the PO. Therefore, power consumption is reduced. In addition, a position of the PEI is different from that of the SSS in frequency domain. This reduces impact of a receiving position of the PEI on intra-frequency cell search and measurement.

The SSB in this method may be an SSB before the PO, and the PEI may be sent before the PO. The PEI may be close to the SSB before the PO. In this way, the terminal may simultaneously perform time frequency tracking and AGC by using the SSB and receive the PEI before the PO.

In addition, when the terminal receives the PEI in the time frequency region of the PEI, no PEI may be received. Correspondingly, when there is no paging message sent to the terminal, the network device may not send the PEI. Correspondingly, the terminal may determine, based on whether the PEI is received, whether there is the paging message. After the PEI is received, it is determined that there is a paging message. If no PEI is received, it is determined that there is no paging message.

In a possible implementation, the PEI is generated by the network device by using a pseudo-random sequence whose length is N, and N is any integer greater than or equal to 127.

In a possible implementation, N is less than or equal to 240.

In a possible implementation, a frequency domain region in the time frequency region of the PEI may be within a transmitting bandwidth of the SSB or may exceed a transmitting bandwidth of the SSB (in other words, not completely within the transmitting bandwidth of the SSB).

In a possible implementation, the first interval indicates at least one of the following: whether one or more terminal groups that receive the paging message on the one or more POs are paged; and whether there is the paging message sent to the terminal on the one or more PO groups in the one or more POs.

In other words, in this implementation, different first intervals may indicate different terminal groups or different PO groups. This improves flexibility of a paging indication.

In a possible implementation, the time frequency region is a plurality of time frequency regions. The plurality of time frequency regions may be used to repeatedly send the PEI. Alternatively, there a plurality of PEIs, and the plurality of time frequency regions are respectively used to send the plurality of PEIs. The receiving the PEI in the time frequency region includes: if the plurality of time frequency regions are used to repeatedly send the PEI, selecting one or more time frequency regions from the plurality of time frequency regions to receive the PEI; or if the plurality of time frequency regions are respectively used to send the plurality of PEIs, receiving the plurality of PEIs in the plurality of time frequency regions.

In other words, in this implementation, one PEI may be repeatedly received in the plurality of time frequency regions. This improves accuracy of the paging indication. Alternatively, the plurality of PEIs may be simultaneously received, and different PEIs may indicate different terminal groups or different PO groups. This improves the flexibility of the paging indication.

In a possible implementation, the time frequency region occupies one OFDM symbol, and there are two OFDM symbols between the time frequency region and the SSS.

In other words, in this implementation, if the time frequency region of the PEI occupies one OFDM symbol, there may be two OFDM symbols between the time frequency region of the PEI and the SSS. In this way, regardless of a time location case used for sending the SSB, the terminal may receive the PEI and the SSS by using a same receiving algorithm.

In a possible implementation, the determining a time frequency region for receiving a PEI from a network device includes: if there is no OFDM symbol between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, and the SSB is located before the another SSB, determining a 1OFDM symbol located before the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region; if there is no OFDM symbol between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, and the SSB is located after the another SSB, determining a 2OFDM symbol located after the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region; or if there are two OFDM symbols between the SSB and another SSB that are in a same slot, determining a 2OFDM symbol located after the SSB as a time domain region in the time frequency region.

According to a third aspect, an embodiment may provide a paging indication apparatus. The apparatus may include modules, for example, a processing module and a transceiver module, configured to perform the method according to any one of the first aspect or the possible implementations of the first aspect. The transceiver module may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module and the receiving module may be different functional modules or may be a same functional module but can implement different functions. The processing module may be implemented via a processor. The transceiver module may be implemented via a transceiver. Correspondingly, the sending module may be implemented via a transmitter, and the receiving module may be implemented via a receiver. If the apparatus is a network device, the transceiver may be a radio frequency transceiver component in the network device. If the apparatus is a chip disposed in a network device, the transceiver may be a communication interface in the chip, and the communication interface is connected to a radio frequency transceiver component in the network device, to implement information receiving and sending via the radio frequency transceiver component.

According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment may provide a paging indication apparatus. The apparatus may include modules, for example, a processing module and a transceiver module, configured to perform the method according to any one of the second aspect or the possible implementations of the second aspect. The transceiver module may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module and the receiving module may be different functional modules or may be a same functional module but can implement different functions. The processing module may be implemented via a processor. The transceiver module may be implemented via a transceiver. Correspondingly, the sending module may be implemented via a transmitter, and the receiving module may be implemented via a receiver. If the apparatus is a terminal, the transceiver may be a radio frequency transceiver component in the terminal. If the apparatus is a chip disposed in a terminal, the transceiver may be a communication interface in the chip, and the communication interface is connected to a radio frequency transceiver component in the terminal, to implement information receiving and sending via the radio frequency transceiver component.

According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment may provide a paging indication system, including a network device and a terminal. The network device is configured to perform the method according to the first aspect, and the terminal is configured to perform the method according to the second aspect.

According to a sixth aspect, an embodiment may provide a non-transitory computer storage medium. The non-transitory computer storage medium includes computer instructions. When the computer instructions are run, the method according to the first aspect is performed.

According to a seventh aspect, an embodiment may provide a non-transitory computer storage medium. The non-transitory computer storage medium includes computer instructions. When the computer instructions are run, the method according to the second aspect is performed.

According to an eighth aspect, an embodiment may provide a computer program product. The computer program product includes computer instructions. When the computer instructions are run, the method according to the first aspect is performed.

According to a ninth aspect, an embodiment may provide a computer program product. The computer program product includes computer instructions. When the computer instructions are run, the method according to the second aspect is performed.

The following describes the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is clear that the described embodiments are merely some but not all of the embodiments.

In the descriptions, “an embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or the like indicates that one or more embodiments include a feature, structure, or characteristic. Therefore, statements such as “in an embodiment”, “in some embodiments”, “in some other embodiments”, and “in other embodiments” do not necessarily refer to a same embodiment. Instead, the statements mean “one or more but not all of embodiments”, unless otherwise emphasized in another manner.

In the descriptions, “/” means “or” unless otherwise specified. For example, A/B may represent A or B, and “and/or” describes merely an association relationship between associated objects and represents that three relationships may exist. For example, A and/or B may represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. In addition, in the descriptions, “a plurality of” means two or more.

Unless otherwise specified, an expression similar to an expression that “an item includes at least one of the following: A, B, and C” may represent any one of the following cases: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C; A and A; A, A, and A; A, A, and B; A, A, and C; A, B, and B; A, C, and C; B and B; B, B and B; B, B and C; C and C; C, C, and C; and other combinations of A, B and C In the foregoing descriptions, three elements A, B, and C are used as an example to describe an optional case of the item. When more elements are included in the expression, a meaning of the expression may be obtained according to the foregoing rule.